IT IS not often that an evening slumped in front of the telly can change your life forever – but that's just what happened to Aaron Craze.

"If someone had told me when I was 15 that I would be where I am today I would have laughed my head off," he says.

The one-time carpet fitter was watching Jamie Oliver work his magic on TV one night when he had an epiphany and decided he wanted to become a chef.

He wasn't sure how to go about it, but his mother-in-law Dee knew he needed a lucky break and she sent off an application form for Aaron to join the trainees at Oliver's London restaurant, Fifteen, in 2003.

Getting accepted into the crew at Fifteen was just the start – but the long hours, not to mention occasionally cleaning the kitchen tiles with a toothbrush as a punishment for being late – paid off.

He graduated from the chef training programme, had stints working at The Ivy and even returned to Fifteen as chef de partie.

As his confidence grew, so did his thirst for greater challenges.

So in 2005 Aaron competed against other Fifteen students to win the keys to his very own gastropub, The Cock Inn at Braintree, Essex.

Running the small rural business was an even bigger challenge, but Aaron and wife Nicci pulled it off, receiving critical acclaim and an AA rosette for outstanding food and service.

The couple were forced to close the pub in January this year due to financial problems, but Aaron has bounced back and has returned to Fifteen, where he will helping to train the new intake of wannabe chefs.

He's also sharing what he's learnt in the last five years in a new book, Aaron Cooks Italian.

Like his mentor, Aaron is incredibly inspired by the Italian approach to food and wine – and says that northern Italy is not too different to England.

"The weather is similar, the produce is much the same and even the landscape seems familiar, apart from the grapevines and olive trees that grow there.

"The real difference is that, unlike the Italians, we're slow to take advantage of all the wonderful fresh produce we grow here," he says.

"It was a revelation to see how passionate the Italians are about their food."

Aaron hopes his book, which features rustic, simple Italian recipes for pasta, risotto and gnocchi as well as a range of meat, poultry and fish dishes, snacks, salads, antipasti and desserts, will inspire British cooks to get creative in the kitchen.

Here are three of his favourites to start you off: Lemon Sole With Anchovy And Caper Butter Sauce, Funky Leaf Salad and Chocolate Fondant Souffle.

Buon appetito!

LEMON SOLE WITH ANCHOVY AND CAPER BUTTER SAUCE

There's no need to overcomplicate this dish: wonderfully fresh fish simply baked in the oven with butter, anchovies, capers and lemon is perfection on a plate.

Lemon sole is one of the less expensive fine fish on the market and easy to get hold of all year round.